Theoretical and experimental studies of ultrasound-modulated optical tomography in biological tissue

Ultrasound-modulated optical tomography in biological tissue was studied both theoretically and experimentally. An ultrasonic beam was focused into biological tissue samples to modulate the laser light passing through the ultrasonic beam inside the tissue. The ultrasound-modulated laser light reflects the local optical and mechanical properties in the ultrasonic beam and permits tomographic imaging of biological tissues by scanning. Parallel detection of the speckle field formed by the transmitted laser light was implemented with the source-synchronous-illumination lock-in technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Two-dimensional images of biological tissues were successfully obtained experimentally with a laser beam at either normal or oblique incidence, which showed that ultrasound-modulated optical tomography depends on diffuse light rather than on ballistic light. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the modulation depth decreased much more slowly than the diffuse transmittance, which indicated the possibility that even thicker biological tissues can be imaged with this technique.     

Methods for parallel-detection-based ultrasound-modulated optical tomography

The research reported here focuses on ultrasound-modulated optical tomography based on parallel speckle detection. Four methods were investigated for signal acquisition and analysis, in which laser speckle statistics was applied. The methods were compared with the previously used four-phase method in the imaging of all-biological-tissue samples, in which the buried objects were also biological tissues. The image quality obtained with these methods was comparable with that obtained with the four-phase method; in addition, these methods have advantages in reducing acquisition time and improving the signal-to-noise ratio.     

Signal dependence and noise source in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography

A Monte Carlo modeling technique was used to simulate ultrasound-modulated optical tomography in inhomogeneous scattering media. The contributions from two different modulation mechanisms were included in the simulation. Results indicate that ultrasound-modulated optical signals are much more sensitive to small embedded objects than unmodulated intensity signals. The differences between embedded absorption and scattering objects in the ultrasound-modulated optical signals were compared. The effects of neighboring inhomogeneity and background optical properties on the ultrasound-modulated optical signals were also studied. We analyzed the signal-to-noise ratio in the experiment and found that the major noise source is the speckle noise caused by small particle movement within the biological tissue sample. We studied this effect by incorporating a Brownian motion factor in the simulation.     

Wide-field optical coherence tomography: imaging of biological tissues

We describe a two-dimensional optical coherence tomography technique with which we were able to obtain multiple longitudinal slices of a biological sample directly in a single Z scan. The system is based on a femtosecond Cr4+:forsterite laser and an infrared camera for wide-field imaging of the sample with a depth resolution of 5 microm. With this imaging apparatus we were able to investigate human skin and mouse ear samples and to observe the different constitutive tissues.     

Autocorrelation of scattered laser light for ultrasound-modulated optical tomography in dense turbid media

Based on measurement of the intensity autocorrelation function, a new method to determine the modulation depth of scattered laser light modulated by an ultrasonic wave in turbid media was applied to ultrasound-modulated optical tomography. Good signal-to-noise ratios and high sensitivities were demonstrated. Images of double optically absorbing objects buried in a highly optically scattering gel sample were obtained. The contrast was more than 10%, and the spatial resolution was approximately 2 mm.     

Polarization contrast imaging of biological tissues by polarization-sensitive Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography

Jones matrix imaging of biological samples by a polarization-sensitive Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography has been demonstrated using a two-dimensional CCD camera to obtain two spectra corresponding to the orthogonal polarization components simultaneously. The measurement results of a quarter-wave plate are compared between the two incident polarization sets, H-V linear and R-L circular polarization. Jones matrix imaging of the bovine tendon is demonstrated. Measured Jones matrix images are converted to equivalent Müller matrix images. Local polarization properties are obtained by longitudinal differentiation of Jones matrix components. The layered structure of the bovine tendon and birefringence are revealed.     

Improvement in the resolving power of impedance thermo- and tomography of biological tissues

We analyzed the possibility for measuring the temperature of the internal structures of a body by using low-frequency currents. We show ways for solving the problem of the limited resolving power of the impedance thermo- and tomography method and present the results of the experiments conducted. National Technical University, Kiev, Ukraine. Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 69, No. 3, pp. 467–471, May–June, 1996.     

Combining diffuse optical tomography and spectroscopy to detect and characterize lesions in two-layered tissues

We combine diffuse optical tomography for detecting and localizing an inhomogeneity in a two-layered tissue and diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) for characterizing the spectrum of that inhomogeneity. For detecting and localizing an inhomogeneity, we reduce the number of unknowns substantially by seeking only the location and size of the inhomogeneity. Then, we seek to recover an unknown specific tumor component of that inhomogeneity from spectral data. In doing so, we develop a method for distinguishing between healthy and tumorous lesions. We demonstrate the utility of this theory with numerical simulations.     

Anisotropy and multiple scattering in thick mammalian tissues

A dual-channel Mach-Zehnder interferometer using heterodyne detection allowed us to measure simultaneously parallel and perpendicular polarization components through various mammalian tissues at a wavelength of lambda = 633 nm. By contrast with liver tissue, squeletic muscles of a few millimeters thickness exhibit strong anisotropic properties that change the direction of the linear polarization of the light. This rotation of the initial plane of polarization is to be distinguished from the depolarization that is due to the multiple light scattering that goes along with large temporal fluctuations. Complementary photos under linearly polarized light illustrate the behavior difference between liver (isotropic medium) and muscle (anisotropic medium).     

Demonstration of complex-conjugate-resolved harmonic Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography imaging of biological samples

Complex-conjugate-resolved Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, where the quadrature components of the interferogram are obtained by simultaneous acquisition of the first and second harmonics of the phase-modulated interferogram, is applied to multisurface test targets and biological samples. The method provides efficient suppression of the complex-conjugate, dc, and autocorrelation artifacts. A complex-conjugate rejection ratio as high as 70 dB is achieved.     

Hybrid laser/arc welding of thick high-strength steel in different configurations

In this investigation, hybrid laser/arc welding (HLAW) was employed to join 8-mm-thick high-strength quenched and tempered steel (HSQTS) plates in the butt-and T-joint configurations. The influences of welding parameters, such as laser power, welding speed, stand-off distance (SD) between the arc of gas metal arc welding, and the laser heat source on the weld quality and mechanical properties of joints, were studied to obtain non-porous and crack-free fully-penetrated welds. The weld microstructure, crosssection, and mechanical properties were evaluated by an optical microscope, and microhardness and tensile tests. In addition, a finite element model was developed to investigate the thermal history and molten pool geometry of the HLAW process to join the HSQTS. The numerical study demonstrated that the SD had a paramount role in good synergy between the heat sources and the stability of the keyhole. For the butt-joint configuration, the results showed that, at a higher welding speed (35 mm/s) and optimum SD between the arc and laser, a fully-penetrated sound weld could be achieved. A non-porous weld in the T-joint configuration was obtained at a lower welding speed (10 mm/s). Microstructural evaluations indicated that the formation of residual austenite and the continuous network of martensitic structure along the grain boundary through the heat affected zone were the primary reasons of the softening behavior of this area. This was confirmed by the sharp hardness reduction and failure behavior of the tensile coupons in this area.The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-017-0193-6     

Acoustic imaging of thick biological tissue

Up to now, biomedical imaging with ultrasound for observing a cellular tissue structure has been limited to very thinly sliced tissue at very high ultrasonic frequencies, i.e., 1 GHz. In this paper, we present the results of a systematic study to use a 150 to 200 MHz frequency range for thickly sliced biological tissue. A mechanical scanning reflection acoustic microscope (SAM) was used for obtaining horizontal crosssectional images (C-scans) showing cellular structures. In the study, sectioned specimens of human breast cancer and tissues from the small intestine were prepared and examined. Some accessories for biomedical application were integrated into our SAM (Sonix HS-1000 and Olympus UH-3), which operated in pulse-wave and tone-burst wave modes, respectively. We found that the frequency 100 to 200 MHz provides optimal balance between resolution and penetration depth for examining the thickly sliced specimens. The images obtained with the lens focused at different depths revealed cellular structures whose morphology was very similar to that seen in the thinly sectioned specimens with optical and scanning acoustic microscopy. The SAM operation in the pulse-echo mode permits the imaging of tissue structure at the surface, and it also opens up the potential for attenuation imaging representing reflection from the substrate behind the thick specimen. We present such images of breast cancer proving the method?s applicability to overall tumor detection. SAM with a high-frequency tone-burst ultrasonic wave reveals details of tissue structure, and both methods may serve as additional diagnostic tools in a hospital environment.     

Ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of biological tissue by use of contrast of laser speckles

Ultrasound-modulated optical tomography based on the measurement of laser-speckle contrast was investigated. An ultrasonic beam was focused into a biological-tissue sample to modulate the laser light passing through the ultrasonic column inside the tissue. The contrast of the speckle pattern formed by the transmitted light was found to depend on the ultrasonic modulation and could be used for imaging. Variation in the speckle contrast reflected optical inhomogeneity in the tissue. With this technique, two-dimensional images of biological-tissue samples of as much as 25 mm thick were successfully obtained with a low-power laser. The technique was experimentally compared with speckle-contrast-based, purely optical imaging and with parallel-detection imaging techniques, and the advantages over each were demonstrated.     

Characterisation of scaffold architecture and tendons using optical coherence tomography and polarisation-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Scaffolds play an important role in the generation of functional tissues using tissue-engineering techniques. To generate highly organised tissue, scaffolds must have specific internal and external architectures. Here, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is exploited to characterise the architectures of various scaffolds, in particular scaffolds which have been fabricated to support the formation of uniaxially orientated collagen bundle for use in tendon tissue engineering. In parallel, a polarisation-sensitive OCT (PSOCT) has been built to assess the collagen fibre organisation in human tendon and monitor the growth of engineering tendon constructs online and non-destructively. The impact of mechanical stimuli on the modulation of tendon tissue formation and organisation was also assessed. It is shown that conventional OCT is capable of characterising scaffold architecture and the pore size, porosity or microchannel dimension can be determined quantitatively and qualitatively. PSOCT generated birefringence images of human tendon and demonstrated that low birefringence images, associated with fewer microstructural variations, correlated to the presence of scar tissue or degenerated tissue; whereas the tissue-engineered tendon exhibited lower degree of birefringence.     

Monte Carlo simulations of coherent backscatter for identification of the optical coefficients of biological tissues in vivo

A Monte Carlo model of light backscattered from turbid media has been used to simulate the effects of weak localization in biological tissues. A validation technique is used that implies that for the scatteringand absorption coefficients and for refractive index mismatches found in tissues, the Monte Carlo method is likely to provide more accurate results than the methods previously used. The model also has theability to simulate the effects of various illumination profiles and other laboratory-imposed conditions. A curve-fitting routine has been developed that might be used to extract the optical coefficients from theangular intensity profiles seen in experiments on turbid biological tissues, data that could be obtained in vivo.     

Measurement and simulation of light distribution in biological tissues

Lateral light-distribution images of biologic tissues were used to study the tissues' optical characteristics. Monte Carlo simulation with the same conditions was performed to simulate the light distribution for comparison. Simulation results showed that the lateral light distribution was similar to the internal light distribution in biologic tissue. The direction of muscle fibers and the temperature both affect the near-field light distribution in tissue. The lateral view distribution can be both measured and simulated to study photon migration in tissue. It can also be used to estimate or verify the optical coefficients of tissue.     

Speckle statistics in optical coherence tomography

The two previously reported calculations of the amplitude distribution of speckles in optical coherence tomography, each based on a different mathematical formulation, yield different results. We show that a modification of an initial assumption in one of the formulations leads to equivalent results.     

Signal-to-noise-ratio expressions in optical diffusion tomography

Optical diffusion tomography is a technology that is employed to obtain images of the heterogeneous nature of turbid media by using optical radiation. Noise ultimately limits the achievable spatial resolution in these reconstructed images; therefore it is of interest to develop signal-to-noise-ratio expressions that relate spatial resolution in the images to the underlying system and material properties. In this study, Fourier-domain signal-to-noise-ratio expressions are derived for two types of optical diffusion tomography systems: those that use amplitude-modulated illumination sources and those that use continuous-wave illumination sources. The signal-to-noise-ratio expressions are compared for these two types of systems and are validated by laboratory data.